Post by Hellfury on Dec 20, 2012 4:15:27 GMT -5
So I went to see the Hobbit on Tuesday night with Katie.*
First off, the previews in IMAX were outstanding. an enormous prologue of the new star trek movie which looks really good. The new superman movie looks likewise fucking awesome. Preview for the new scyfy channel series this april is tent pole material.
Almost 3 hours of awesomeness with the Hobbit. The beginning was paced a bit slower than I recall from the books. Radigast played too much of a role in the movie. If I recall my lore correctly, Radigast made penance for his lack of a role during the war of the ring, as he never really sided with either force during the conflict. The White council formation was also made a bit too early as it should have formed at the end of this film, prior to the group encountering Beorn.
Those gripes aside, gorgeous movie, especially in high frame rate IMAX 3D. My favorite scene was with Galadriel and Gandalf as they took council with one another. You really did believe that she was Faenor's sister at that point, something which I feel failed to be portrayed in the trilogy. That she was the most powerful of the elves who emigrated to to the east and survived beleriand's ruin. Gandalfs tender intimacy in his confidence of Galadriel showing his vulnerability and caring nature... really poignant and cuts to the heart of the matter concerning the point of everything that surrounds Morgoth's Ring.
The incorporation of the materials found in the Silmarillion and the rest of the History of Middle earth is done rather faithfully, IMO. I am confident as the other two movies are released we are in for a nice treat having such wide source material woven so delicately. They make mention of beings and areas not mentioned in the hobbit, so the whole is finally greater than they were separately.
I feel riddles in the dark was not given the gravitas it should have. It is the most important turning point of the body of work, the ring choosing a new slave. It is a grim and scary note, of being lost deep with in the heart of the earth with great evil surrounding bilbo who must use his wits and unwittingly use the evil of the ring to escape. More importantly, how bilbo became separated from the dwarves capture strained credibility.
The battle scenes were acceptable, if not great. The goblin king of the deep was well done. Gandalf's intervention using the light of the valar deus ex machina was impressive.
My nit picks aside, I really enjoyed it and the nearly three hours flew by for both of us. Worth it in 3D? Not really to be honest though the flight of the eagles was pretty cool along with a few other choice scenes.
If you like LotR, consider this compulsory viewing. But if you like LotR, then you already knew that.
* Yeah, with the ex. We made an agreement that we would do this long ago, as we are both nerdy for Tolkien and is one of the few things we can still share and not fight with each other during.
But, I told Katie everything that has been going on with me for the last couple weeks since we last talked, in the spirit of full disclosure as one would with any very close friend. Her reply to what she had been up to? "nothing". So we have now come to the end of even that last bastion of possible friendship. *shrug* oh well.
First off, the previews in IMAX were outstanding. an enormous prologue of the new star trek movie which looks really good. The new superman movie looks likewise fucking awesome. Preview for the new scyfy channel series this april is tent pole material.
Almost 3 hours of awesomeness with the Hobbit. The beginning was paced a bit slower than I recall from the books. Radigast played too much of a role in the movie. If I recall my lore correctly, Radigast made penance for his lack of a role during the war of the ring, as he never really sided with either force during the conflict. The White council formation was also made a bit too early as it should have formed at the end of this film, prior to the group encountering Beorn.
Those gripes aside, gorgeous movie, especially in high frame rate IMAX 3D. My favorite scene was with Galadriel and Gandalf as they took council with one another. You really did believe that she was Faenor's sister at that point, something which I feel failed to be portrayed in the trilogy. That she was the most powerful of the elves who emigrated to to the east and survived beleriand's ruin. Gandalfs tender intimacy in his confidence of Galadriel showing his vulnerability and caring nature... really poignant and cuts to the heart of the matter concerning the point of everything that surrounds Morgoth's Ring.
The incorporation of the materials found in the Silmarillion and the rest of the History of Middle earth is done rather faithfully, IMO. I am confident as the other two movies are released we are in for a nice treat having such wide source material woven so delicately. They make mention of beings and areas not mentioned in the hobbit, so the whole is finally greater than they were separately.
I feel riddles in the dark was not given the gravitas it should have. It is the most important turning point of the body of work, the ring choosing a new slave. It is a grim and scary note, of being lost deep with in the heart of the earth with great evil surrounding bilbo who must use his wits and unwittingly use the evil of the ring to escape. More importantly, how bilbo became separated from the dwarves capture strained credibility.
The battle scenes were acceptable, if not great. The goblin king of the deep was well done. Gandalf's intervention using the light of the valar deus ex machina was impressive.
My nit picks aside, I really enjoyed it and the nearly three hours flew by for both of us. Worth it in 3D? Not really to be honest though the flight of the eagles was pretty cool along with a few other choice scenes.
If you like LotR, consider this compulsory viewing. But if you like LotR, then you already knew that.
* Yeah, with the ex. We made an agreement that we would do this long ago, as we are both nerdy for Tolkien and is one of the few things we can still share and not fight with each other during.
But, I told Katie everything that has been going on with me for the last couple weeks since we last talked, in the spirit of full disclosure as one would with any very close friend. Her reply to what she had been up to? "nothing". So we have now come to the end of even that last bastion of possible friendship. *shrug* oh well.
